On the relationship with Sarri: “The club makes the team. The coach gives instructions, we then choose the players”. Ratkov: “I’m tall but also technical.” Taylor: “Right or left? For me it’s the same”
Not just the presentation of January’s signings, Taylor and Ratkov. Claudio Lotito spoke extensively about Lazio between the market, relationship with Sarri and objectives, starting with the return to Europe. “The transfer market closes on January 31st, we don’t necessarily have to buy as if we were going to the supermarket – the words of the Biancoceleste president in the Formello conference -. We will work to bring Lazio back to the top, for many years we were in the Europa League. I’m talking about the Champions League and the Europa League, we decline the Conference with all respect. We have an interest in increasing the value of the squad, in line with the characteristics requested of us by the coach”.
WITH THE COMMANDER
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Sporting director Angelo Fabiani intervened on a sentence from Sarri who had declared that he didn’t know Raktov: “The coach is a Tuscan, he makes jokes, he also said it for Castellanos. Ratkov was examined by Sarri’s work group, by his staff. The joke doesn’t follow the concept that he didn’t know the player, for intellectual honesty it must be said. He also watches the European matches…”. The relationship between the coach and the market choices was clarified by Lotito. “In my house I’m in charge, the others are employees. The others don’t decide, it’s the first thing, otherwise it’s chaos. I’m not interested in jokes and words, I talk about facts. The team is made by the club. The coach gives the necessary indications, we then choose the players. For other coaches the squad is competitive. We are making choices, we are looking for players. In the summer we didn’t hide the closed transfer window from anyone. There was an abuse, the club had no problems, they caused us damage of 90 million, we then sold Castellanos for 45. When we chose the coach, he knew what the squad was… If you are a good coach you have to train the players. Coaches don’t do scouting, Sarri is not naive, I can’t think he doesn’t know someone from Ajax or Salzburg.” Fabiani added: “We are in close contact with Sarri every day. He is our coach and our guide, we are happy. It was our choice. When Baroni told us he was leaving, and I still haven’t understood the reasons, Lotito immediately asked me for Sarri…”.
THE NEW
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Kenneth Taylor and Petar Ratkov have already made their debuts with Lazio, last Sunday in Verona. Their arrival after the sales of Guendouzi and Castellanos. “Ratkov can be an added value,” underlined Lotito. The 22-year-old Serbian center forward who arrived from Salzburg expressed his full potential: “I’m tall but I also play well from a technical point of view, I can also assert myself with assists, not just with finishing. You can expect a lot from me… I heard from Sergej Milinkovic, he told me that it was the best club and the best city for me. Yes, I want to stay here for a long time, I really hope so. My idol is Lewandowski, I was also inspired by him to improve. I would be happy to to score, but the most important thing is to get to Europe for the team.” Taylor immediately started for Lazio. “Sarri and Farioli? They have things in common – specified the 23-year-old former Ajax player – but it’s difficult to say. They are two great coaches. For me it’s the same to play on the right or on the left. Sarri told me to move the ball quickly, that’s what he asks of all the midfielders. As well as trying to score.”
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